


The Anniversary of Reckoning

by Griselda_Gimpel



Series: Rebuilding Ishval [6]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Adoption, Canon - Manga, Canon Compliant, Canon Continuation, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Ishbal | Ishval, Ishbalan Character(s) | Ishvalan Character(s), M/M, Orphans, Post-Canon, Post-Promised Day, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-22 10:54:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16596527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Griselda_Gimpel/pseuds/Griselda_Gimpel
Summary: As the anniversary of the Day of Reckoning approaches, May and Major General Armstrong both visit Ishval, and Scar & Miles must decide where their relationship goes next.





	1. Chapter 1

                Miles and Scar were relaxing in bed one morning before they had to go to work when Miles shifted and asked suddenly, “Why don’t you ever call me your husband?” Miles and Scar had been living together for a little less than a year. Before making their shared home together, Scar had insisted that his master bless their relationship in the eyes of Ishvala, and he had explained to Miles that it was the equivalent of marriage in everything except the eyes of the law.

                 Scar absentmindedly moved his hand, gently massaging Miles’ shoulder. One of their cats jumped up on the bed and forced herself between Scar’s hand and Miles’ shoulder, demanding pets. He thought for a moment before answering. “Before the Amestrian conquest, you _would_ have been because what’s good enough for Ishvala is good enough for civil law. Then the Amestrians forbade a marriage contract be drawn up between two men, but they did not forbid the performance of religious ceremonies.”

                “Thanks for explaining,” Miles murmured, snuggling in closer to Scar. “There’s so many things I still need to learn.” Eventually, work duties called and they got out of bed. As they were about to head off to breakfast, they discovered two letters on the doorstep. One was addressed to “Major Miles Keystone” and the other was addressed to “Mr. Scar”.

                Miles opened his letter first. It read thusly:

 

_Major Miles Keystone,_

_I am coming to Ishval in three weeks to inspect the new Ishvalan troops. Be prepared. I expect not to be disappointed._

_Sincerely,_

_Major General Olivier Mira Armstrong_

 

                Miles carefully folded the letter and put it away. “Wonder what that’s about. Who’s yours from?”

                Scar opened up the letter and glanced down at the bottom. “It’s from May,” he said and then read the letter.

 

_Dear Mr. Scar,_

_I would have written earlier but I didn’t know how to reach you. Lan Fan – that’s Big Brother Ling’s vassal – said that you were okay, but Big Brother Ling insisted we leave right away, so I didn’t get a chance to say good-bye. He said I would understand when I’m older, whatever that means._

_I am well, as is Xiao May. Big Brother Ling is working to end the clan rivalries. He says I should see him as a sibling, even though he’s from the Yao clan. I have been trying to do this. It feels strange, but it’s also kind of nice, too._

_I hope that this letter finds you in good health. If nothing else, please write back._

_Sent with hearts,_

_May Chang (and Xiao May)_

 

                Miles read the letter over Scar’s shoulder. “You know,” he said, “my troops have got the rail line between here and Xing repaired. They finished last week.”

                Scar grabbed a blank sheet of paper from underneath one of the cats and began writing a reply.

 

_Girl,_

_Come visit. Bring Xiao May._

_Scar_

 

                Putting the letter in an envelope, Scar put a stamp on it and put it into the mailbox.

                “If she comes to visit, she’ll need a place to stay,” Miles said, causing Scar to look up with start.

                “She’ll need a place to stay,” Scar agreed. His eyes scanned the room, taking inventory of their home. “I should add a room.”

                “Where?” Miles asked, suppressing a smile. Their shared home had a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom.

                “I can move our bedroom,” Scar mused, rubbing his chin. “I’ll put in a hallway. Do you think she’ll want her own bathroom?”

                “That won’t be too difficult on the plumbing?” Miles asked.

                “No problem,” Scar said. Scar and his team of alchemist-engineers had laid down the plumbing system that lay under the first rebuilt city of Ishval.

                “You’ll have to move the moat,” Miles pointed out. After Scar had received a pardon, they’d had a bit of a problem with the paparazzi. The moat around their house had been added to give them some privacy. As the news cycle had moved on, this had been less of an issue, but the moat remained.

                “No issue with the moat,” Scar said.

                “One issue,” Miles said, grinning.

                “What?”

                “You’ve got to get to work. So do I, in fact. Especially if the Major General is going to be visiting.”

                The next three weeks were a whirlwind of activity. Miles made the troops sweep the floors of their barracks so that not a speck of dirt remained, make their beds so neatly there wasn’t a crevice to be seen, scrub the toilets so well they could be eaten out of, and polish their shoes until they shined. The troops began to be concerned that he was going to order them remove the sand from the desert or some such thing. Rumors swirled that Major General Armstrong was coming to face Miles in single combat, that she was arriving astride a Briggs mountain bear with a hundred more behind her, and that she literally breathed fire if she saw a soldier with a button undone on their uniform.

                As for Scar’s part, in addition to usual duties – teaching his language class on Classical Ishvalan, training and leading a team of alchemist-engineers to rebuild their homeland, and performing the various duties that came with being a priest – was busy remodeling the house to accommodate a guest. The seven cats were most displeased at all of the disruption, as was Miles when he came home one day to find that Scar had inadvertently not left a door to their bedroom. Thankfully, alchemy meant that the matter was easily enough resolved.

                When the time came, Major Armstrong and May Chang arrived in Ishval on the same day, but on trains coming from opposite directions. Miles and Scar met them separately. Miles and Major General Armstrong went back to Miles’ office at the Ishval branch of headquarters. Scar took May to Ezekiel Keystone Park. Scar hadn’t asked for a park to be named after him – Ezekiel Keystone being his legal name now – but he hadn’t been consulted beforehand. The attention made him feel awkward, but it was a nice park, with benches for picnics and a playground for the children. There was even a fountain, fed by the aqueduct system that now ran all the way to Mount Briggs.

                In Miles’ office, Miles hesitated before taking a seat behind his desk while Major General Armstrong took a seat on the other side. It felt strange for their positions to be reversed like that, but it was _his_ desk, and Major General Armstrong would have frowned at him if he didn’t act with the authority he’d been entrusted with.

                At the park, Scar bought May an ice pop from the vendor. He fumbled with the Sens. It had been a long time since he had handled money, but reintroducing currency was necessary to integrate Ishval with the rest of Amestris, as Miles had explained it.

                “There’s something we need to discuss,” Major General Armstrong told Miles briskly.

                “I’m being reassigned to Briggs,” Major General Armstrong said and then held up a hand before Miles could reply. “Grumman insists.”

                “So the Flame Alchemist remains our advocate in Central?” Miles asked.

                “I’m afraid so,” Major General Armstrong said. “If you ever succeed in convicting him, the Briggs situation might change, but right now, Grumman needs me in the North. How is the case against the ‘Hero of Ishval’ progressing, anyway?”

                “Poorly,” Miles said. “Lieutenant Hawkeye is willing to testify, but the prosecutor fears the case might still not be strong enough if brought to trial now.”

                “Then to Briggs I go,” Major Armstrong said. “This is the real reason I’m here. The rebuilding of Ishval is progressing nicely, but who knows what state Briggs will be in when I return. Major Miles, will you return to Briggs with me and assume your previous position?”

                Elsewhere, Scar and May strolled through the park.

                “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” May said to Scar, licking her ice pop before it melted. Even so early in the year, the day was heating up.

                “What is it?” Scar asked.

                “Big Brother Ling has been working to end the clan rivalries, so the Chang family has been doing better.”

                “That’s good.”

                “And I felt so bad about leaving without saying good-bye and- and I remember what Mr. Yoki said about you not having a clan anymore, so I spoke with my grandfather, and he agreed to have you adopted into the Chang clan. You can come back to Xing with me and have a family again!”

                In his office, Miles was struck silent. The same went for Scar in the park.


	2. Chapter 2

                “Tch. Don’t think you have to answer right away,” Major General Armstrong said when she saw how flabbergasted Miles was as her suggestion he return to Fort Briggs.

                Miles finally found his words. “Are you asking me to assume my old position?” he asked carefully, “Or are you ordering me?”

                “Asking,” replied Major General Armstrong. “I’m aware that it could be seen as a demotion. I’m aware also that not everything can be compensated for.”

                “Thank you,” Miles said, his heart torn between the blazing heat of Ishval and the freezing cold of Mount Briggs. He hadn’t realized how much he missed Briggs until Major General Armstrong had brought up the possibility of him working and living there again.

                “Scar is welcome to accompany you, of course,” Major General Armstrong said.

                Miles nodded. “Shall we tour the troops?”

                Elsewhere, in the park, Scar said nothing at all to May’s suggestion that he move to Xing. After a beat, she went silent, her happiness fading to discomfort. She could tell that something was wrong, but she did not know where she had erred.

                Miles’ voice was in Scar’s head. _You have to communicate. People won’t know what you’re thinking unless you tell them._ So what was Scar thinking? He wasn’t sure, but he still tried.

                “We have an appointment,” he said finally.

                “An appointment?” May asked, confused.

                “Yes,” Scar said. “At the tailor’s shop.”

                “Um, okay,” May said. She took Scar’s hand, and he led her toward the shop. Along the way, they passed the temple that Scar had built using alchemy.

                “It’s beautiful,” May whispered when she saw it. Scar looked at it. He had tried his best to make it worthy of Ishvala. Like much the rebuilt buildings in Ishval, its fundamental component was sand. However, whereas most of the buildings in the city were made of sandstone, the temple was composed primarily of glass in facets of countless colors.

                “This is where I work,” Scar said, “but not today. I took today off.” His new assistant - Meital Pasternack – was handling his Classical Ishvalan language classes for the duration of May’s visit. His master was covering Scar’s various priestly duties, and his team of alchemist-engineers were set on their instructions for the next several days and had promised to contact him only if it was an emergency.

                Master Isaiah came out of the temple and waved at them.

                “Who’s this?” May asked.

                “This is my master,” Scar said. “Master, this is May. She is visiting me.”

                “Oh,” Master Isaiah said. “I wanted to talk to you and Miles, but I will catch you another time if you have a guest. I hope you are showing her the hospitality of Ishval.”

                “Of course,” Scar said. “In fact, we should hurry if we’re to make our appointment.”

                “Yes,” May agreed, and Scar led her onward. He took her to the tailor’s, where he paid to have her measured for traditional Ishvalan robes. (When the tailor saw Xiao May, she quickly offered to make tiny robes for her, as well. Scar readily agreed as soon as he saw the delighted look on May’s face.) He had arranged it in advance, and the tailor promised that they would be ready the following morning. He showed May around town after that. There was the library and the memorial and the Xiao May Xingese Cultural Center, the last of which charmed May.

                Miles spent his day rather more on nerves. It was the first time Major General Armstrong had toured the new Ishvalan troops since the Ishvalan Reconstruction Project had begun, and everyone was eager to make a good impression. He was silently grateful to Private Naomi Kanda. She was the only one of the new troops who’d met Major General Armstrong previously. For all her youth, she kept her wits about her.

                It was Private Kanda who met Miles and Major General Armstrong at the barracks when they arrived for the tour.

                “Good morning, sirs,” Private Kanda said, nodding her head to each of them in turn. “I have the schedule for today. You’ll tour the North Barracks at 9:00 A.M., the East Barracks at 9:15 A.M., the South Barracks at 9:30 A.M., and the West Barracks at 9:45 A.M.” She continued on as they headed to the North Barracks. Private Kanda had a thorough schedule for the day, and Miles caught Major General Armstrong nodding approvingly.

                However, Miles nearly choked when Private Kanda added, “The toilets are good enough to eat off of.” She didn’t whisper it or mutter it under her breath. She said it straight to Major General Armstrong’s face, and she saluted when she did so.

                Major General Armstrong raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

                “Yes, sir,” Private Kanda said. “My fellow soldiers and I saw to it, sir.”

                “And are we going to be eating off of the toilets?” Major General Armstrong asked.

                “No, sir,” Private Kanda replied. “We plan to use the tables for that.”

                “Are they also clean enough to eat off of?”

                “Yes, sir.”

                “Then why do you keep the toilets so clean, Private?”

                “Clean toilets mean clean troops,” Private Kanda replied promptly. “Clean troops are healthy troops.”

                “Do we have time in the schedule for a few sparring matches?” Major General Armstrong asked abruptly, changing the subject. They had reached the common area of the North Barracks by that point.

                “Yes, sir,” Private Kanda said. “Between whom, if I may inquire?”

                “You and me,” Major General Armstrong said.

                “Yes, sir,” Private Kanda said. There were whispers from the troops of the North Barracks, who were standing at attention. They went silent when Miles shot them a look.

                “Very well,” Major General Armstrong said, heading to the center of the common area.

                “Please don’t kill her, sir,” Miles whispered as she passed, but she gave no indication that she had heard. Private Kanda took a sword off the wall of the North Barracks common area and then joined Major General Armstrong in the center.

                “Miles will officiate,” Major General Armstrong said.

                “Begin,” said Miles, wanting to close his eyes so that he didn’t have to watch.

                It took ten seconds for Major General Armstrong to disarm Private Kanda. Private Kanda’s sword went flying across the room to clatter on the floor, and Major General Armstrong’s sword was at Private Kanda’s throat.

                “Again?” Major General Armstrong asked.

                “Yes, sir,” Private Kanda said. Major General Armstrong let Private Kanda retrieve her sword, and another round began.

                “You’re dead,” Major General Armstrong said after the eighth time she had disarmed Private Kanda.

                “Where is my weakness?” Private Kanda asked. Miles was impressed at how calm she was at sword point.

                “Your left side,” Major General Armstrong said. “Your left hand is weaker than your right. A soldier should be able to use either hand equally.”

                “Thank you, sir,” Private Kanda said. “What exercises do you recommend for me to strength it?”

                As Major General Armstrong described them to an attentive Private Kanda, Miles’ breathing finally returned to normal. They continued their tour until they finally broke for lunch.

                “What is your assessment of the Ishvalan troops, Private?” Major General Armstrong asked as they ate.

                Private Kanda looked down. “We’re weak.”

                “Because you couldn’t best me in a sword fight?” Major General Armstrong asked.

                Private Kanda shook her head. “Almost two years ago, a man came to Asbec to see that doctor who was traveling with Scar. I didn’t pay him any attention. He was clearly Ishvalan!” She paused a moment before continuing. “I learned later that that man wasn’t Ishvalan at all. He was a shapeshifter who could assume any form he desired. Ishval has no defense against that.”

                “What else?” Major General Armstrong asked.

                “The Flame Alchemist could incinerate us all with the snap of his fingers if he so chose. We’d be dead before breakfast. Sabotageurs could blow up the aqueduct system that we have constructed, depriving the entire East of water. Amestris as a whole is fighting too many wars on too many fronts. We’re not unified; I can’t trust the Amestrian troops – Briggs excepted - not to shoot me on a lark.” Private Kanda bundled her hands into fists. “We’re a weak country.”

                Major General Armstrong nodded. “We are. It’s good that you are able to recognize that.”   

                When evening rolled around, Scar, May, Miles, Major General Armstrong, and Private Kanda took dinner together at Ruth’s Restaurant. People could still get food for free from the Briggs soldiers, but operations were being scaled back slowly, as the new denizens of Ishval now had wages to spend. It was Miles who worked it out. At first, wages and cost were both extremely low, and there were provisions in place to provide the basic necessities for those who needed them. As time passed, both wages and prices were being slowly raised until they were in line with the rest of Amestris. It meant both that no one could make a huge profit and that no one would be left to starve. There were also taxes that were paid on goods that were sold, and this money would be used to fund the services that would remain. Miles envisioned an Ishval in which no one was destitute. While there was some grumbling, people were adjusting to the new status quo.

                Right as the five were sitting down to eat, May spotted Master Isaiah and called out a greeting to him. He came over to their table.

                “Hello, Ezekiel. Hello, Miles. Hello, Naomi. Good to see you again, May. And am I presume that you are Major General Armstrong?”

                “I am,” Major General Armstrong said, as the others chimed in their return greetings.

                “Master, would you care to join us?” Scar asked.

                “It would be my pleasure,” Master Isaiah said and pulled up a chair.

                May addressed Master Isaiah. “There was something you wanted to talk about with Scar and Miles, wasn’t there?”

                “Yes, but it can wait until later,” Master Isaiah said.

                “Whatever it is, you can say it in front of May,” Scar said huffily.

                “Yes, please do tell,” Miles said.

                “Well, okay, fine, if you insist,” Master Isaiah said. “Ezekiel, Miles, I was wondering if you two had considered adopting a child?”


	3. Chapter 3

                There was dead silence at the dinner table after Master Isaiah had spoken, suggesting that Scar and Miles adopt a child.

                “We hadn’t discussed that,” Miles said cautiously.

                “We should,” Scar said at almost the exact same moment.

                Miles glanced at him. “Should what?”

                “Adopt a child!” May exclaimed, excitement plain on her face. On her shoulder, Xiao May made cheering motions.

                “Briggs is no place for a child,” Major General Armstrong intoned.

                “This isn’t Briggs,” Scar stated, suddenly confused.

                “Exactly,” Major General Armstrong said firmly, while Miles looked uncomfortable.

                Master Isaiah smiled gently. “I imagine you’ll have a good discussion after dinner. For now, why don’t we order?”

                “You should try the shashlik, sir,” Private Kanda said to Major General Armstrong. “They do it right here.”

                The server took their orders. Major General Armstrong, Private Kanda, and Miles all had shashlik, while Scar and his master both ordered the cholent, and May opted for mujaddara after Scar explained what it was. There was small talk until the food was brought out, at which point they dug in.

                “Is this some kind of prank?” Major General Armstrong demanded of Private Kanda after she took a bite of her shashlik.

                “No, sir,” Private Kanda replied immediately, her eyes wide with confusion and innocence.

                “That’s just how it’s made,” Miles said absentmindedly. He was half-way through his dish already.

                “It’s supposed to taste like this?” Major General Armstrong demanded. “Where does the heat come from?”

                “Cayenne peppers,” Scar informed her between bites of his dish. Then he cocked and eyebrow. “Too hot for you?”

                “Why would anyone eat this in the desert?” she wondered.

                “Spicy food cools the body down, sir,” Miles said nonchalantly. “It doesn’t sound like it should, but it does.”

                “So it would be a terrible dish to bring to Briggs,” she said firmly.

                “Yes, sir,” Miles said. “Furthermore, capsaicin is a bowel-irritant. It would be rough on any soldier on guard duty.”

                “A what-irritant?” Major General Armstrong asked frostily. She glared at Private Kanda. “Why did you suggest I order this?”

                Private Kanda gripped her shashlik tightly to stop her hands from shaking. “Because it’s delicious, sir?”

                Major General Armstrong turned her attention to Miles. “Do you also think this is delicious, Miles?”

                “Yes, sir,” Miles said. “I used to eat this sometimes growing up. The shashlik here is good, but it’s nothing compared to what my grandfather used to make.”

                “I see,” Major General Armstrong said. “In that case, I’m rescinding my offer.”

                “What offer?” Scar asked, his eyes narrowing.

                “Major General Armstrong asked if I would return to Briggs,” Miles answered.

                “When were you going to tell me?”

                “Tonight,” Miles said. “Anyway, I already decided I was going to say no.”

                “You can’t say no,” Major General Armstrong said tartly, “because I’m rescinding my offer to you and extending it to Private Kanda.”

                “To me, sir?” Private Kanda asked.

                “Yes,” Major General Armstrong said. “I’d like you to transfer to Briggs to be my assistant.”

                “Isn’t she a bit inexperienced for that position?” Miles asked, and dismay replaced delight on Private Kanda’s face.

                “Oh, please,” Major General Armstrong said. “You’d only been at Briggs a month before I promoted you to that position.”

                “But sir, I was stationed at North HQ for years before I was transferred to Briggs.”

                “Ha! The North HQ soldiers couldn’t find their asses with both hands.”

                Miles fumed silently at her dismal, but he knew it to be an old sentiment. It was why there was a Briggs-specific basic training that all Briggs soldiers had to take upon arriving, regardless of the experience they had elsewhere.

                “Wait, does this mean I’m going to have a fight a bear?” Private Kanda asked.

                “Yes,” Major General Armstrong said bluntly.

                “Go for the eyes and you’ll be fine,” Miles whispered to her.

                “All right,” Private Kanda said. “I accept.”

                “Good,” Major General Armstrong said. “You’ve got a lot to learn, and I doubt you’ll find the Briggs cuisine to your liking, but you take criticism well and have a lot of potential.”

                “Thank you, sir,” said Private Kanda. She looked a mixture of ecstasy and nerves.

                After dinner, Private Kanda returned to the barracks, Major General Armstrong returned to the inn where she was staying, and Master Isaiah returned to his home, while Scar and Miles walked back to their house with May and Xiao May.

                As they strolled along the road to the residential area, May broke the silence. “I didn’t understand what rebuilding Ishval meant,” she said. “You have a home here.”

                “I do,” said Scar.

                “Would you and Major Miles come visit me sometime in Xing?” May asked.

                “Of course,” Scar assured her, smiling. “And you’re always welcome here.”

                “You two would make good fathers,” May said later, when Scar tucked her into bed.

                Once she was asleep, Scar and Miles talked about what Master Isaiah had suggested.

                “Do you want kids?” Miles asked.

                “Yes,” Scar said.

                “I hadn’t thought about it,” Miles admitted.

                “Caring for orphans is an obligation unto Ishvala,” Scar said, trying to explain.

                “I’ve never considered a family to be an obligation,” Miles said.

                “Many things are an obligation,” Scar argued. “That doesn’t make them bad.”

                “Yes, I understand that,” Miles said. “I guess I just need time to process it before we decide.”

                “Of course,” Scar said. “After guests leave.”

                The next morning, Scar took May and Xiao May to get their new clothes, and the tailor squealed at how adorable they both looked. Scar didn’t say anything, but secretly he agreed.

                “Where would you like to go now?” Scar asked.

                “I was wondering if I could visit some of our other traveling companions, but, oh, I guess they’re probably not in Ishval, are they?”

                “Yoki is traveling with the circus he joined. I don’t know where Jerso and Zampano went. Winry would know about Al. She spends some of her time here, but she is in Rush Valley at the moment. Marcoh is here, however. He works at the hospital.”

                “Let’s go visit him!” May suggested.

                “Okay,” Scar said. The hospital was run by Mistress Shan, and she had been close with the Rockbells. Scar avoided the place if he could, but May was his guest, so he assented.

                They found Marcoh in his workshop in the hospital, along with one of his apprentices, Jael. They were working on creating construct bodies for the surviving members of the Immortal Legion, so that they could be restored to something approaching normalcy.

                Marcoh’s face lit up when he saw May, and he fumbled in his pocket for a pad of paper and a pen. MAY! He wrote.

                “Can’t you talk?” May asked, concern flooding her voice. Scar realized he should have told her about Marcoh’s condition before they came to the hospital. Nevertheless, between Marcoh and Scar, they explained how Marcoh had lost his tongue opening the Portal of Truth to find a way to restore the Immortal Legion.

                WE’VE HELPED 1008 SO FAR! Marcoh wrote, beaming.

                “Big Brother Ling has a Stone,” May said. “But if we had it restored, he won’t be able to become emperor, and the clan rivalries will begin again.”

                Marcoh turned to a new page on his notepad. I GAVE MUSTANG A STONE TO HAVE ISHVAL REBUILT.

                “Neither you nor May’s brother knew that anything could be done to help a Philosopher’s Stone,” Scar said gently.

                “Still,” May said, “my brother has an obligation to Ishval, doesn’t he?”

                “Yes,” Scar said.

                “My brother always honors his obligations,” May said. “He’s been talking about working out a new trading route with Amestris. Would…would it be good if the trading route ran through Ishval?”

                “Miles would know the answer better than me,” Scar admitted. “But that does seem like a good thing.”

                “Excuse me,” Jael asked Scar, “Could I have a moment of your time?”

                “Of course,” Scar said. Jael was one of the students in his language class, as well as Marcoh’s apprentice.

                 “Could you talk to Mistress Shan?” Jael asked. When she saw the expression on Scar’s face, she added, “I know you and she don’t always get along, but she’s been acting very withdrawn the past few days, and I’m worried about her.”

                “You could do that now,” May suggested, “if you’re worried about her. I can stay here with Dr. Marcoh. I want to learn more about the work he’s doing.”

                “Very well,” Scar said and headed for Mistress Shan’s office. When he reached her door, it was shut. He knocked on it.

                “Go away,” he heard Mistress Shan shout, causing him concern. For one thing, she didn’t know it was him, and she was usually nicer to people who weren’t Scar. For another thing, it sounded like she’d been crying.

                He sat down on the floor, his back to the door. “It’s me. Jael asked me to check on you.”

                “Jael can mind her own business,” Mistress Shan snapped. “I’m fine.”

                “Don’t sound fine,” Scar said. “Is this because of me?”

                “Yes! No. Oh, I don’t know.”

                “Please talk to me. No one will know what you’re thinking unless you tell them.”

                “You sound like Major Miles.”

                “He must have rubbed off on me.”

                “Oh, fine,” Mistress Shan said. “What right do I have to be the director of this hospital?”

                “You offered to take the job,” Scar pointed out, not understanding.

                “So? I’m not a doctor! I just helped the poor Rockbells scrub bed pans and wash bandages. I’ve got no right running a hospital!”

                “You do a good job,” Scar said.

                “I don’t feel like a do.”

                “I understand,” Scar said. “I’m not an engineer, but everyone looks to me to lead the rebuilding.”

                The door of Mistress Shan’s office opened. “I guess we’re all just winging it, huh?”

                “I’ll talk to Miles,” Scar said, “and see what he thinks.”

                “Talk to Miles about what?” Scar heard. He turned to see Miles and Major General Armstrong coming up the hall.

                “The Major General wanted a tour of the hospital,” Miles explained.

                “What’s going on here?” Major General Armstrong demanded accusingly, causing Mistress Shan to blanch.

                “Nothing that can’t be resolved easily,” Miles said smoothly. He addressed Scar and Mistress Shan. “What’s the issue here?”

                “I’ve been feeling…” Mistress Shan floundered for the word. “Overwhelmed, I guess.”

                Miles smiled kindly at her. “Everybody’s taken on a lot of extra responsibility to get Ishval rebuilt. Do you have an assistant?’

                “No,” Mistress Shan said. “I didn’t know that was an option.”

                “You should see if Meital Pasternack – _my_ assistant – wants the job,” Scar said.

                “Doesn’t that just shift the problem rather than solve it?” Mistress Shan asked.

                “I guess so,” Scar said, “but my alchemist-engineering team is getting better, which takes some of the pressure off. Besides, I suspect Meital would be happier here. She’s very enthusiastic about the medical field. I think she only took the job as my assistant because I killed the State Alchemist who hurt her.”

                “I’ll ask her,” Mistress Shan said. She addressed both Scar and Miles. “Thank you.” Scar and Miles exchanged glances and smiled at each other. They made a good team.

               


	4. Chapter 4

                May and Major General Armstrong both stayed another day, and then Miles saw Major General Armstrong and Private Kanda off as they headed north, and Scar saw May and Xiao May off as they headed east.

                “We should adopt,” Miles said, as he and Scar walked back to their home.

                “Are you sure?” Scar asked.

                Miles laughed. “I don’t think anyone’s ever sure about parenthood, but I think we’ll do fine.”

                They let Master Isaiah know of their decision the next day, and he instructed them to come down to the orphanage on their next day off. The orphanage was near the temple, as Master Isaiah was in charge of it. The rebuilding of Ishval had brought a flood of children who’d lost their parents and parents who’d lost their children, and Master Isaiah was forever busy handling adoptions. Preference was given first to blood relatives and then to family friends, but there were some cases where that wasn’t possible.

                Miles and Scar were waiting in the lobby for Master Isaiah to see them when a little girl about five years old skipped into the lobby. Her right leg had a prosthetic from the knee down, and Scar recognized her. He didn’t know her name, but he’d run into her at the hospital previously.

                “Mr. Alchemist! Major Miles!” she greeted them, “Are you here to adopt?”

                “We are,” Miles said. “How is your day going?”

                “Great!” the little girl said. “I just got a new leg because I had a growth spurt, and Miss Winry says that when I’m a bit older, I can get automail! I’m Adva, by the way.”

                “Oh, so you’ve met already,” Master Isaiah said, coming into the lobby.

                “Good morning, Master Isaiah!”

                “Good morning, Adva. What do you think about Major Miles and Ezekiel here being your new dads?”

                “Really?” Adva asked. “I’d love that!”

                “We’d be happy to have you in our family,” Scar said, smiling at her. Miles nodded in agreement.

                “There’s some paperwork for you to fill out, and you’ll need to attend the parenting classes as I mentioned previously, but we should have everything in order shortly. Adva, why don’t you go get your things packed up?”

                “Okay!” Adva agreed, and rushed off.

                Scar carried Adva’s bag as they walked back to their home after the adoption was finalized. Part way through the trip, Miles carried Adva piggy back style. When they reached their home and crossed the moat and opened the door, Adva’s face lit up when she saw that Scar and Miles had seven cats.

                “Kitties! You have kitties!”

                “Now _you_ have kitties,” Miles correct her gently.

                Scar picked up the kitten Bear and handed her to Adva. She struggled under Bear’s weight, and Scar supposed that the kittens weren’t so young anymore.

                “I love her!” Adva said. “And I love you Alchemist Daddy! And you, Uniform Daddy.”

                “I love you, too,” Scar said.

                “As do I,” Miles agreed.

                They got her settled into her room, and as she unpacked her belongings, Miles and Scar relaxed on the couch. Tomorrow would be the anniversary of the Day of Reckoning, which was also the anniversary of the founding of the rebuilding of Ishval. For that reason, it would be a public holiday.

                Scar, Miles, and Adva left early for the festivities. There were jugglers, pie eating contests, artisan booths, athletic competitions, and fireworks when the sun began to set. Adva oo’ed and ah’ed as the fireworks traced patterns of light in the sky.

                “I was worried no one was going to adopt me,” Adva said sleepily as the night wore on. “I don’t really remember my parents. They died when I was really young. Everyone took care of me, but I didn’t have a family.”

                “You have one now, sweetie,” Scar assured her. The word “sweetie” felt foreign on his tongue, but he supposed he would become accustomed to it.

                Miles smiled at Scar as Adva drifted off to sleep, her body laid across both Scar and Miles’ laps. “I think last night was the first time I heard you say the L word.”

                “I wasn’t used to saying it, before,” Scar admitted. He grinned. “I love you, Uniform Husband.”

                Miles laughed but not so loudly as to wake Adva. “I love you, too, Alchemist Husband.”

                Careful not to wake their new daughter, they took turns carrying her back to the house, where they tucked her into her bed and kissed her forehead good-night. What was lost could never be replaced, but it was still possible for new and wonderful things to come after tragedy.

               

 


End file.
